Read Psalm 92
A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.
1 It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to your name, O Most High,
2 proclaiming your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.
4 For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
5 How great are your works, Lord,
how profound your thoughts!
6 Senseless people do not know,
fools do not understand,
7 that though the wicked spring up like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they will be destroyed forever.
8 But you, Lord, are forever exalted.
9 For surely your enemies, Lord,
surely your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
10 You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox;
fine oils have been poured on me.
11 My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”
Go Deeper
Sabbath is a time of rest, a time to take a break from our work, and a time to worship and be in the presence of God. Psalm 92 gives us a look into sabbath rest and worship. In fact, the psalm is entitled “A Song for the Sabbath Day.” It begins with praising the Lord and making music in His name. Worship music is a way to connect with God, honor Him, and feel His presence. Sabbath is more than singing worship music – it’s a call for physical rest and a time to intentionally connect with our Lord and Savior. Psalm 92 reminds us to start the day proclaiming God’s love and end the day thanking Him for His faithfulness.
The psalmist sings for joy and praises God for His great works and profound thoughts. We know God is always at work around us (John 5:17). Yet, there are times when the craziness and busyness of everyday life prevents us from seeing and recognizing His works. Sabbath helps us set aside time to reflect on who God is and what He is doing, while recognizing any misaligned priorities and recommitting to seeking opportunities to be used by Him. As Paul writes, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Sabbath reminds us of our call to live for His glory and spread the good news of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10).
Unfortunately, there are many who think God’s work and blessings are of their own doing; that they are in control. That’s a dangerous place to go. The psalmist tells us that while senseless and foolish people may prosper and succeed here on earth, their forever is very different from believers’ eternity in heaven. As we keep our eyes on Jesus, we flourish and grow. Practicing sabbath provides us not with an excuse to lie around and watch Netflix all day, but a chance to slow down and connect with our Savior. Couldn’t we all use a little more of that?
Questions
- Do you observe a weekly day of sabbath? What do you do (or not do) on this day?
- Is God calling you to consider how you might shift work responsibilities or family/kids’ activities in order to incorporate a day of true rest?
- What does rest look like for you?
Keep Digging
For more information, read The Bible Project’s blog post “Keeping the Sabbath: Is it Still Relevant to Christians Today?”.
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7 thoughts on “Psalms of Thanksgiving: Psalm 92”
Do most of you honor the Sabbath? I have not and was always told it can be by gardening or doing what i enjoy-
That now seems very all me focused.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
Steadfast Love=HESED.
God is so faithful and full of that Hesed love, steadfast, unshakeable, immoveable,unconditional, enduring, more than we deserve LOVE. We are told to declare it. We live in a broken world BUT GOD can/will/does show up with this love. Everyday we are to declare it by praises and our own faithfulness to Him. We can see it but you do have to open your eyes to find it, in nature, a new beautiful baby, joyous laughter, excited children, even in “work”, God’s love is what you decide to see it in, or experience it in. Evidence can be seen in your life through the fruit of the spirit. Not being judgey, moving the plank out of our eyes, loving and seeing others through God’s love goggles.
God thank You for Your goodness and loving kindness evident in and through all things in my life. Thank You that You saved me not because of works done by me in righteousness, but according to Your own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom You poured out on me richly through Jesus Christ my Savior, so that being justified by Jesus grace I might become heirs laccording to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7). God thank You for being more in love with You. God help me where I fail. Thank You for showing me what You need me to see, do, and give to Your glory in these minutes of this day to share what I know about that Hesed love in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!
“It is good to give thanks” something that even science has confirmed. Practicing gratitude has been shown to “trigger the brain to release neurotransmitters and hormones associated with happiness, including dopamine and serotonin.” Research has shown that expressing gratitude can improve sleep, mood and immunity, and can decrease depression, anxiety, chronic pain and disease. The Psalmist and science agree! A book I read years ago by author Ann Voskamp “One Thousand Gifts” (one that I highly recommend) introduced me to a gratitude journal, something that has led me to be more intentional about noticing and recording my blessings. “You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done”(v4)..
I’ve been looking for a day by day reading plan to get through the Bible in a year. Do you not have that anymore? I wanted to print one out so I can stay off my phone a little more but read my physical Bible. I hope I’m not inundated with emails now!!!
Hi Karen! Our rhythm has always been a chapter a day. If you’re looking to get through the Bible in a year, check out The Bible Recap! It’s available in both podcast and book forms.
Psalm 92’s theme is to be thankful and faithful every day.
What a delight!
This is my prayer that I may live a flourishing life lived in praise to God, a life that bears fruit even in old age. I praise You for Your grace, for Your goodness, for Your mercy in my life and all the good gifts of love. I will exalt Your name forever. In Jesus’s name, Amen!
14 “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,”
OK! I’m going to cling tight to this promise!